Chopin's piano concertos prioritize the soloist's virtuosity, with the orchestra largely providing background accompaniment, a common style in 'virtuoso concertos' of his time.
Performer Biography
Hans Rosbaud, the conductor on this album, was a child prodigy who had piano lessons at age five and began conducting at 16.
Interpretation
Conductor Hans Rosbaud, despite the orchestra's accompanying role in these concertos, succeeded in highlighting the tonal colors of the individual instrumental parts to their maximum potential.
Composition History
The numbering of Chopin's piano concertos is misleading; the Concerto No. 2 in F Minor was actually composed before Concerto No. 1.
Performer Biography
Nikita Magaloff, one of the pianists on this album, was born in St. Petersburg and became internationally famous as a Chopin interpreter.
Performer Biography
Hans Rosbaud was known for his 'phenomenal' memory, notably conducting the premiere of Arnold Schönberg's opera Moses and Aron almost entirely from memory after stepping in with only six days' notice.
Composition History
Frédéric Chopin's two piano concertos are early works, composed in Warsaw in 1829/30, and were also premiered there.
